


Ghostphobia

by MarimenCarmen2



Category: El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Original Work
Genre: Botanicas, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dark Comedy, First Meetings, Ghosts, Macabre, Mexican Horror, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 17:57:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15515382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarimenCarmen2/pseuds/MarimenCarmen2
Summary: A neurotic young woman named Marichilo who, when desperate for a job, winds up being unexpectedly thrust into San Maripilar, a fantastic world full of incredible beasts, unimaginable beings and zany characters. She receives a job at a botanica, where she faces head-on with a colorful cast of talking animals and strange creatures. Unfortunately, Marichilo has quite the terrible case of ghostphobia and is ultimately terrified by the very students and staff she must work with.





	1. Chapter 1

A young woman named Marichilo with long black hair and wearing a school uniform.She was humming to herself until Conchita walks by, and arrogantly sneers at her

"I can't believe i let that terrible woman interview for a job."

" Ms. Marquez you're next"

Marichilo gulped

"Let's see Ms Marquez do you why you're here."

"Well it's because i have a fear of ghosts" Marichilo sees a ghost

" Aaaah!!!"

"The first step is your fear of ghosts is recovery."

Marichilo smiles

"You realize this job is quite safe for you"

" Quite safe"

"Are you sure you can handle it"

"Oh yes i can handle it"

San Maripilar

"Oh no?"

"Good luck Marichilo" 

Marichilo heard Conchita laughing

Marichilo heard a thunder crash

"Welcome to San Maripilar." Marichilo gulped. She opens the door "Uh-oh?" Marichilo sees a girl with frizzy long black hair in a flowing white gown appeared behind her "Aaaah Ghost!" 

Marichilo is pacing back and front 

"Keep it together Marichilo!" 

Marichilo hyperventilates

"Breathe Marichilo"

Marichilo sees a yellow bulldog 

"Aaaah" 

She sees a skeleton

"Aaaah" 

Marichilo panting, gasped and her eyes become large; ghosts appear

"Uh-oh?"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Oh!" 

One of the ghosts party too hard and accidentally flings its brain into a punch bowl on the table; the drink splashes into an apple-shaped ghost

"Dude, I think you're having a little too much fun." 

"No, he's always like that." 

A muddy ghost dancing knocks into a female ghost who is holding a cup, causing her to spill the drink on her shirt

"Hey, you got ectoplasm all over my top." 

It is shown the female ghost has no body parts below the waist

"Well, it would have been hard to get it on your bottom."

The male ghost laughs, but stops when the female ghost's legs kick him. Elsewhere, a pixelated ghost is banging on a door

"Yo, you done yet? "

The pixelated ghost looks into the room, making the occupant scream. The pixelated ghost is slapped. A headless female ghost that carries her head is conversing with a male ghost 

Marichilo faints

 

As Marichilo felt her eyes open she thought she saw the form of a skull as the darkness faded away. She awaken to a much more bizarre scene.

" Hey she's waking up! "

She heard excited voices above her and all around

" We got a breather over here, fellas! New arrival! New arrival!"

"She fainted earlier..."

there was the voice from before, the deep smooth words of the nameless woman "Are you alright, Chilo?" a ghostly hand lightly held her head up.

She blinked several times "Wh-what happened...?" her head was pounding, heart beating rapidly.

"Look at her', she's still soft!" a child's voice came from a small ghost, he poked Marichilo's cheek.

The sight made Marichilo jerk up and stumble to her feet "Oh! Wh-Wha-! What's going on-!" her surprise didn't end as the horror grew to the scene of various ghosts in what could only be an old botanica.

Marichilo's eyes widened more in shock

Suddenly everyone's eyes were on the ghost of a Mexican feminist, who slowly approached Marichilo

"Hi i'm Addie what's yours"

Marichilo gulped "Marichilo"

"Oh, right..." Addie says with a wince. "I forgot you have that big contest to get ready for."

"Yep, the twenty-fourth annual Botanica Contest!" Marichilo declares. "I've been practicing for weeks, and I have to make sure everything is perfect for tonight! I have to win, I just have to! Especially since..."

"Oh no," Addie said

...

"Conchita..." Marichilo finishes with a scowl.


	2. The Botanica Contest

Marichilo now works at a botanica in San Maripilar with the ghosts she meets,but a ghost girl named Addie helps her calm down due to stress they put her through and Addie helps her go to Miracle City community center

Marichilo smiles at her.

 

Several other girls just like Marichilo are making their rounds, each with the same extravagant clothes and hair as her.

Everyone turns their attention to the sudden commotion, and a brunette girl with a newsboy cap reveals herself.

She condescendingly sneers at all the other girl workers, and begins walking her way through with pompous posture.

Nikita's daughter Conchita walks up to Marichilo and Addie.

"Hello Marichilo. I heard that you work at a botanica. I'm glad to see you've accepted the fact you'll be working."

"Ha! Not this year, Conchita, Addie's just here to enjoy watching me cream you!"

"Hmm... She's more likely to beat me this year than you are, Marquez.See, I've been working on perfecting my routine for weeks now. I have to say, I'm quite proud with what I've come up with..."

She sinisterly smiles as she checks her fingernails

" It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it..."

Marichilo and Addie meets their statement with concern and confusion

"Yeah, you're about to find that out when I wipe this floor with you"

"At least I'd be a clean wipe... I can't say the same for you..."

"Conchita decides to leave with that last word"

"You want me to turn her into a ugly frog"

"No Addie i gonna crush her on my own."

"The crowd applauds as the master of ceremonies exits the stage, and they gradually quiet down as they anticipate Marichilo's performance for the Talent portion."

"Finally, the curtains are drawn open to reveal a dark stage."

"Then, the spotlight shines down to reveal Addie standing with her back facing the spectators."

Slowly, she spins around, and begins tapping her foot.

Backstage, a little ghost frog slaps the button to a boom box with its tongue, and a 1920s rhythm begins to play.

After a moment of tapping her foot, she steps forward to reveal Marichilo directly behind her, who is now dressed to look just like herself.

The crowd's pleasant surprise becomes evident, particularly for her parents.

Then, the girls proceed to dance their tushies off with choreography and charisma of synchronized swimmers. Every step, every shuck, every jive radiates with more personality, poise, and talent than any ol' ribbon dance or leap across a stage ever could've done. 

They reach the end of their dance routine.

They stop and turn their attention to the audience, whose members are all quick and happy to show their adulation. They whistle, they cheer, they throw roses.

They turn and smile to one another, then each take a bow.

The best part for Marichilo? Knowing that somewhere backstage, Conchita is gritting her teeth, getting all huffy and puffy with envy at their reception.

And Addie? She's just happy to be having fun with her friend.

Shortly after, she comes face to face with Conchita.

The brunette girl just crosses her arms with a pouty look on her face, then petulantly "Hmph's" before walking away.


	3. Marichilo and Gigi

"Want to see something really cool?" Gigi blinked owlishly up at the girl who had just interrupted her reading, an overexcited blond girl with curls that seemed to be going in every possible direction, a missing front tooth, and big blue eyes that seemed to make Marichilo less able to talk than normal. "Well, do you?"

Marichilo nodded and the blond girl's grin widened. She grabbed Marichilo's wrist and dragged her to the other side of the library. Marichilo, a small dark-haired girl of ten who normally stuck to her little corner of the children's section of the library, looked around with wide eyes as the girl led her through the dusty old stacks, finally halting at a table with a bunch of books opened to colorful pictures. "Lookit!"

Clambering up on to one of the chairs, Gigi stared at the pictures, wondering what she was supposed to be looking at, exactly. She glanced back at the girl, who seemed to sense her lack of enthusiasm and thus scowled. "Don't you think it's cool?" she asked, sitting in the chair next to Marichilo. "Those are pictures from all over the world! Look, from Africa, from Asia, from everywhere."

When Marichilo still just looked at the pictures a little blankly, the girl let out a huff and pushed some of her curls out of her face. "I just think the world is really cool," she said quietly. "I think it'd be the awesomest thing to get away from my parents and away from here and just explore everything." Marichilo's eyes widened at that, because she knew that feeling — the feeling of not belonging and of wanting to leave. The girl grinned again and stuck out her hand. "I'm Gigi, by the way."

As she shook Gigi's hand, Marichilo spoke for the first time to tell her, "My name's Marichilo."

Gigi and Marichilo remained friends through elementary school, junior high, and even high school, suffering through the awkward stages of puberty and adolescence together.

When they went away to college, though, everything started to change.


	4. Botanica Party

The employers were working for a party that would happen inside the botanica. Marichilo's boss was analyzing to see if the employers were doing a good job. While it,Addie and Marichilo were sitting on a couch,with Marichilo wearing a light pink sweater that her mother made it for her.

"Marichilo...I'm feeling kinda sick...",Addie said,faking out a illness. She made a barfing pose and dumped fake blood at Marichilo.

"Mrs. Gutierrez,you gave us bad food!",Marichilo said,also faking feeling ill. She retributed the favor,dumped fake blood at Addie.

The polar opposite roommates briefly dumped fake blood on themselves,sharing endless laughter and fake barfing noises. However,Mrs. Gutierrez was far from being amused at their behavior.

"Guys! Help me! Something terrible is going on!",Carmelo ran towards Marichilo and Addie,sounding afraid and scared.

At first,Marichilo and Addie misunderstood it was something serious...but Carmelo dumped fake blood on them faking it was barfing,and the three shared alot of laughter.

Marichilo and Addie found their way to their boss's office. Then,they removed the sheet above the copier machine. The copier machine was actually...extremely old. It didn't look like it was fixed: it looked extremely smashed and old. And some spiders crawled out of it once it was uncovered.

Marichilo screamed. 

With little difficulty,Marichilo lifted up the lid. It had a simple,rectangle-shaped space for the object to be copied be inserted in,and nothing of special.

"Lets hope it works.",Addie said,actually not feeling hopeful about the machine's capacity.

Marichilo pressed a button and,just for a test,decided to put her right hand inside it. She pulled her right sleeve and rested her right hand on the rectangle-shaped space. An ghostly green light shined as her arm was scanned up. Out of the other side,came a paper copy of Marichilo's hand.

"It worked!",Addie said happily,as she picked the paper.

However,the paper began to oddly vibrate. Addie squeaked and dropped it in fear,going to Marichilo's back. Suddenly,Marichilo's hand came to life. It had a duller color than Marichilo's real skin,and to make it even creepier,it began to get up in it's fingers to walk towards the two.

"Leave it to me.",Addie said,as she picked Marichilo's orange soda.

Before the hand could approach them,Chara stepped hard on it,making it briefly immobile. Then,she threw the orange soda at the hand,making it burn and desintregate like a plastic object on fire.

"...Woah. Addie,I think this machine can copy the humans!",Marichilo said,staring amazed at the hand,that was now just a pile of black dust.

"W-what this means?",Addie asked to Marichilo. The two briefly paused...and Addie slightly teased Marichilo by dumped fake blood on her.

"Okay,all the party people...and kind off my family...I'll decide the roles. Aden,you'll be playing the DJ because I'm merciful to you and because the work is for free." 

"I won't make you regret this choice,Mrs. Gutierrez!",Aden happily said,inserting headphones on his head with a toothy smile.

"I hope not...Carmelo and Addie,you two work on the ticket stand."

"B-but Mrs. Gutierrez...I could try to make real friends this time!",Addie said in a indignified and sad tone,remembering about the failed and disastrous attempts of friendship on the past.

Marichilo understood Addie's sadness and decided that,for her sake,she would try and switch roles with her.

"I can work with Carmelo.",Marichilo said.

Marichilo decided to reflect a little,but she accidentaly looked at Carmelo,who was pranking Aden with fake blood,and laughing.

"I will do that.",Marichilo said to Mrs. Gutierrez,ready to do anything to impress Carmelo and,at the same time,let Addie be free.

Marichilo was at her's and Addie's room,in-front of the mirror,wearing a 1920s dress. She turned to get the spray and use it,and surprisingly,she saw Addie there.

"AAAH!...Oh hey Addie?",Marichilo said in a scared voice,turning around to see her friend better.

"Hi Marichilo!",Addie happily greeted with a innocent smile

The party just had began. Aden was actually doing a good job on mixing the introduction of the song,and the disco ball was giving a lot of colors for the room. Addie was watching the room over a little balcony. She was now wearing a orange flapper dress, headband with a feather,and pearl necklace.

Perla approached Addie. She was also wearing a party-appropriate outfit. 

Marichilo and Carmelo were outside,busy with the ticket station.

"Woo woo! Just dance,and chill~", Addie said,as she danced over the step floor.

Eventually,she tired out and decided to rest over a chair. She opened a water bottle and drinked from it,and just then,she noticed two girls who were sitting on chairs near her.

One of them was a chubby and slightly short girl of Native American style with dark brown hair. She had a feather necklace,yellow shirt,black yoga pants and red sneakers.

The other one was a slightly taller and slimmer girl of Spanish-like style,with a white shirt, red skirt, black flat shoes,and a green bolero jacket. Her hair was black and her skin was tan.

After paying attention a little bit more,she discovered there was a little brown cat resting on the chubby girl's shoulder.

"Aww! You love felines like me! Well,greetings,I am Addie.",Addie said,happy about seeing a animal,and curious to know about those girls.

"Sup,I am Aiyana.",the chubby girl replied,in a laid-back and slightly older voice. Addie thought that it was curious,but beautiful name. "That one is Marica.",she continued,motioning towards the spanish girl.

Marica waved to Addie with one hand,as the other hand was holding up a book with a crimson colored cover.

"What is this book about?",Addie asked,curious about the book.

"It is a book of horror and adventure.",Marica answered with a smile,showing the cover better for Frisk.

The cat that was on Aiyana's shoulder bitted some of the popcorn from her bowl,and both Aiyana and Marica laughed together. Addie couldn't believe it: she finally found out friends that weren't evil or scary humans.

"...I found real friends.",Addie said,feeling finally realized and really happy.

"Attention!",Aden's voice ringed out,catching the attention of the three girls. "The one who most...party hard?,and have the most applauses this night,will have the crown of the party!",he continued,holding a golden crown with sapphire crystals over it.

"Woah!",Aiyana and Marica said,looking amazed at the crown.

However,a nasty surprise for Aiyana and Marica,that was a curious surprise for Addie,appeared: three girls approached Aden's stand. The most featured one was a blonde girl,even taller than Marica. The blonde's hair was curly,she had red eyes, and a outfit of a pink color that looked like a Victorian lady. She was using a pink colored handheld fan.

"Party crown! I want this, gracias.",the blonde said for Aden. She had a slightly annoying Mexican accent. 

"Who is her?",Addie asked,raising a eyebrow

"The most popular girl on town, Clara de Asis.",Marica explained.

"She makes me feel kinda worthless...",Aiyana added,holding her right arm with her left hand and looking down with a nervous face.

Sorry,but only the winner of the competition can have it.",Aden said,feeling nervous and confused,as he clutched the crown to far from Clara's reach.

Clara laughed,putting her handheld fan on her belt and picking up the microphone of the table. "Who will dare to compete against me? Book lady? Cat girl?" Clara taunted,laughing even more.

Addie felt pity for them both,and she tried to think about a solution to make them happy. ...The first idea,that sounded risky but most obvious,was try to defeat Clara on the partying contest. She walked to Aden's table with a happy smile.

"Hey,I'll compete here.",Addie said,snatching gasps from her two new friends. Then,she turned around to Clara's direction to present herself. "Greetings. I am Addie."

"This sounds like a fat lady's name!",Clara said.

"I'll take it as a compliment.",Addie said.

"May the better one win.",Clara tauntingly said,as she walked away with her group of friends.

"Bye nice knowing you" said Addie

"Let the contest begins" said Aden 

The contest reached to its point: it was the time to sing. Clara was the first one to go to stage,grabbing the microphone and preparing to sing.

A dream...always...

BECOOOOOMES!

Reality.

The singing was so loud that one of the plastic cups managed to be destroyed because of the voice intensity. 

Clara steps ahead!",Aden commented,surprised about Clara's performance...and with his ears inside hurting a little.

"Try and top that!",Clara challenged Addie,handing the microphone to her.

"Its not our end yet,my friends! Watch this.",Addie said in a hopeful,leaderful tone,and ran to the stage. "Aden! Bring up the most song you have on CD!",she said to Aden.

Aden picked up the CD from a music called Booty Swing and inserted it on the CD player.Addie took a deep breath,and focused out. She bringed the microphone to her mouth and danced as she sang as well.

Now, Arab sheikhs on the burning sandsCome into their harems and clap their hands 

Said, "Come on, girls, are you ready to play? 

Let's have a little more of that swingin' today."Now, in the land of Fu Manchu 

The girls all now 

do the Suzie-Q 

Clap their hands in the center of the floorSaying, "Ching, ching, chop-suey, swing some more!" 

Everyone got wild because of Addie's performance,and cheered for her...except,obviously,Clara,who was extremely angry. Marichilo approached of Aden while Clara was busy,and Aden nodded in agreement. 

"Well,now we'll take a break. Here comes the music!",Aden said,scratching the back of his head and putting a new music.

"Woah,this sounds amazing.",Carmelo complimented the music,swinging his head to its rhythm.

Marichilo and a flapper ghost were now on Marichilo and Addie's bedroom,pacing around each other with their hands on their backs and a thoughtful face. 

A flapper ghost and Marichilo,eventually,discussing about the possible dangers,decided that would need more help. And Marichilo...summon six more ghosts to execute a master plan to stop all that would be on her way.

"I'm waiting for the bathroom here,pal.", Carmelo replied.

"Oh...",Marichilo nodded in agreement.

Marichilo and Carmelo clinked their cups and laughed together. Then,they saw the door opening,and Clara coming out of the bedroom,with a angry face. 

"Give me some time.",Carmelo said,going to the bathroom and closing the door.

For some seconds,silence ruled the corridor,until some noises echoed on the room. Marichilo turned around,and saw all of the flapper ghosts she summoned. And they were happy.

Addie was enjoying a creepy foxtrot on the dancefloor of the party. Aden was making some sword slash noises with a violin,promising that he would announce the winner of the crown of the party. Addie stopped and walked alongside Clara.

"Clara,no matter who will be the winner...I want to say it was super fun.",Addie said in a respectful tone.

"Aww, what are they gonna do." Clara complimented Addie. "Clap for the weird girls? Pfft,I bet they won't."

Flapper ghosts summoned the ghostly phonograph and Marichilo is dancing to the beat.

"Oh No, what did you do?" said Marichilo

Until Marichilo is getting tired.

"Wanna grab a orange soda" said Marichilo

"Let the votes for the winner start!" 

"Good luck Addie.",Clara said for Addie,with a furious face that awakened a inner fear on the heart of the young girl. 

"First,the claps for Addie." 

The crowd applauded loudly for Addie,which surprised her and Clara. It was like Addie was the most popular girl from San Maripilar,instead of Clara. 

"Well,now,its time for the claps of Clara!"

...Ironically,everybody was afraid of applauding for Clara. Clara glared at the crowed in fury,and they slightly applauded faster for her.

"Oh no! We are tied up! Someone must turn the tables for one of them."

Afterwards,she carefully putted a dollar on his lap,waking him up and making him pick it. 

"I think we finally got a real winner..." "The winner...is Clara de Asis.",he reluctantly continued,giving the crown to Clara.

"Thank you Jorge! Thank you so much! We should celebrate at my parents' party boat!",Clara happily cheered as she crowned herself.

The crowd carried Clara,shouting and cheering up her name. Only Aiyana and Marica were left. 

"Guys, i'm sorry i let you down"

"It's okay. We'll make a consolation for you!",Marica said

"Really?",Addie said in a surprised tone,her eyes sparkling like little stars.

"We will ask to our moms if we can make a sleepover with you. You are almost a flapper!",Aiyana said with a happy smile.

"And I have more amazing books.",Marica added with a smile,pulling another horror book from her bag and showing its cover for Addie.

"Guys! You are the best!",Addie said

"We don't have many friends,like Clara,but I believe if we get each other's back,we are happy.",Marica said.

"Aden! Bring a new song,to celebrate friendship!",Addie said with a hopeful smile for Aden,who didn't yet turn off the audioboxes.

"Okay. Here we go!",Aden replied with a thumb up,inserting a new music on the CD player,as Addie,Aiyana and Marica danced together in extreme joy.

Marichilo and a flapper ghost were on the roof of the botanica.Each of them with cans of orange soda,staring at the stars of the night.

"...I came from a family of teachers,but i'm a musican...",Marichilo said,for a flapper ghost.

"I came from a family of doctors,but i'm the artist.",A flapper ghost said 

Suddenly The flapper ghosts went back to the afterlife.

"Hey Marichilo! Where you have been?",Addie called for Marichilo,catching her attention. "I have real friends this time."


End file.
